Hinchey Honors Greene County VSA Director Michelle Romalin Deyo as Part of State Legislature’s Women’s History Month Celebration

ALBANY, NY – During Women’s History Month, members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus honor an outstanding woman from their district who demonstrates exemplary character and leadership. This year, State Senator Michelle Hinchey chose to honor Greene County Veterans Service Agency Director Michelle Romalin Deyo for her longstanding advocacy of Greene County veterans and first responders and her heroic service to our country. On Thursday, Hinchey welcomed Romalin Deyo to the State Capitol to be recognized on the Senate floor. A video of the Senator’s remarks is available here.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “It is my honor to recognize U.S. Air Force Veteran Michelle Romalin Deyo for her service to our country and tremendous advocacy on behalf of our veterans and first responders in Greene County. Michelle has served and protected our country with great courage, and upon returning home from military service, has devoted her life to supporting our veterans here at home, changing lives, and strengthening our communities in that work. Michelle makes history as the only woman to lead a county-wide veterans agency in SD-41, and the Legislative Women’s Caucus’ Women’s History Month recognition is the perfect opportunity to ensure that her legacy of service is rightfully acknowledged and celebrated.”

A veteran of the United States Air Force, Romalin Deyo served as a Munitions Systems Specialist in support of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Southern Watch, and the NATO Operation Deny Flight. After four years of military service, Romalin Deyo has continued to advocate for her fellow veterans and servicemembers through her work as the Director of the Greene County Veterans Service Agency, a position she has held for twelve years.

In that time, Romalin Deyo has assisted thousands of veterans and their families in obtaining VA benefits and was instrumental in the collective fight to bring the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program to Greene County for the first time. In her role as Agency Director, Romalin Deyo oversees the Greene County Veterans Transportation Program, which has undergone significant expansion efforts to ensure that veterans can safely travel about the area, including to medical appointments. A champion for mental health, Romalin Deyo organized Greene County’s first Suicide Awareness and Prevention Day, the Greene County Connect to Protect Greene Guardians, which raised over $7,000 to support local programs for veterans and first responders in its first year.

Hinchey’s office has partnered with Romalin Deyo and Greene County VSA on Veterans’ Resource Fairs across Greene County, including in Athens, Cairo, and Greenville, to connect the local veteran community to services, including health care, access to benefits, jobs, and financial resources. Romalin Deyo has also contributed her expertise and advocacy on behalf of New York’s veterans as a member of the 19th Congressional District Veterans Advisory Committee, the American Legion Post 291, and as an advisor on the Greene County Honor a Veteran Committee, an annual recognition honoring distinguished Greene County Veterans.

Romalin Deyo remains an active member of her community, where she serves as an EMT with the Town of Coxsackie Ambulance and as a volunteer firefighter with the Cairo Hose Company, from which she received the Firefighter of the Year award in 2022. Romalin Deyo is a proud mom of four, having raised her sons, Killian, Liam, Declan, and Ciarán, as a single mom, all of whom have served in the military, just like their mom.

###